Mental illnesses and obesity are increasing prevalent disorders in the modern world and require improved treatments to maximize patient quality of life and reduce health care costs.
For instance, depression refers to a serious medical illness that affects one's thoughts, feelings, behavior, mood and physical health. Major depression, also referred to as clinical depression, major depressive illness, major affective disorder and unipolar mood disorder, may involve some combination of the following symptoms: depressed mood (sadness), poor concentration, insomnia, fatigue, appetite disturbances, excessive guilt and thoughts of suicide. Left untreated, depression can lead to serious impairment in daily functioning and even suicide. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S. Researchers believe that more than one-half of people who die by suicide are experiencing depression. Each year depression affects 5-8 percent of adults in the United States. Therefore, about 25 million Americans will have an episode of major depression this year alone. Without treatment, the frequency and severity of depression symptoms tend to increase over time.
Furthermore, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. Symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity (over-activity). Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system with marked motor symptoms linked, in part, to the death of dopamine-generating cells. Common symptoms of this disorder are movement-related, including shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with walking and gait. Behavioral problems and dementia are also common, particularly in late stage disease. Bipolar disorder describes a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.
Obesity is a disorder marked by excessive body fat that negatively affects a patient's health. If a person's bodyweight is at least 20% higher than it should be, he or she is considered obese. Obesity is linked to a panoply of diseases, including coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers (e.g., endometrial, breast, and colon), hypertension, dyslipidemia, stroke, liver and gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, osteoarthritis, and gynecological problems, among others.
Unfortunately, sufficient treatment for these disorders has proven elusive. For instance, in the context of depression, while certain pharmaceuticals have proven somewhat successful, medical practitioners face the challenge of unpredictable responses and eventual loss of effect, necessitating constant evaluation of treatments and, often, changes in treatment regimens. Further, anti-depression pharmaceuticals are often characterized by unpleasant side effects.
Therefore, there remains a need for therapies that are useful for treating various mental illnesses and obesity.